Aeroplane wing device



bemh Hmm Sept. 27, 1932.

`A. c. PETERSON,

AEROPLANE WING DEVICE Filed arch 27. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet gnvenlof,

Sept. 27, 1932. A. c. PETERsoN AEROPLANE WING DEVICE Sheets-Sheet Filed latch 27, 1950 Patented Sept. 27, 1932 PATENT OFFICE ADOLPHE C. PETERSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA AEBOPLANE 'WING DEVICE Application led March 27, 1930. Serial No. 439,358.

My invention relates to aeroplanes and particularly to a device applying to wings thereof wherefore it is called aeroplane wing device.

The particular objects of my invention are to provide a means in relation to wings of aeroplanes which shall render such wings readily foldable after alighting so that such aeroplanes may when unused occupy less space, and so that the aeroplane may be of less width in such folded state. The particular object is to provide a wing folding means which is simple, cheap in manufacture, reliable in use, which is securely and permanently in position, and which secures the wings reliably to the fuselage in operating position. An object is to provide such means in a form which is readily operated by a pilot without undue exertion on his part and which renders the folding or replacing in position of the wings an easy and expeditious task. A further object is to provide such means for use either in connection with land, or sea or amphibian planes so that particularly for such sea planes wings may be folded when resting on the water so that the seaplane in that status is more readily manageable and less liable to damage. A further object is to provide .such means in connection with auxiliary wings so that such auxiliary wings may be provided in any number on an aeroplane in connection with main permanent wings or otherwise so that such auxiliary wings may be temporarily used and folded for operation of the aeroplane when higher speeds are desired or attained.

The principal devices and combinations of devices comprising my invention are as hereinafter described and as defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention in several different applications, like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view chiefly in horizontal cross section through the wing actuating devices, this view being on the line I-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section on the line II--II -of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a plan view of an aeroplane embodying the folding wings devices in the main wings. l

Figure 4 is a frontal view of the aeroplane shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of an aeroplane embodying my folding wings and devices in the form of auxiliary wings.

Referring again to the drawings, the Figures l and 2 are views showing only the prin cipal wing folding devices in enlarged form so as to more clearly show these devices. The Figures 3 and 4 more specifically show the application of the devices in connection with a pair of main wings. The numeral l in these figures relates to a fuselage or hull of a sea-plane embodying my invention. The hull l has attached to it and rising vertically approximately at the plane of the longitudinal axis of the hull a supporting means.F

which is comprised of two long parallel and closely placed so-called support frames 2. The support frames 2 may be located say a few inches or a foot or so apart depending on the construction and may be of any required length so that they give the necessary support to the devices hereinafter described, and they may be cast or welded of metal.

The support frames 2 have in their upper forward part a bearing 3 on a horizontal axis transversely of the longitudinal axis of the hull l. The support frames 2 have formed in them rearwardly of and below the level of the bearing 3 open arc-like spaces 4 and they have integrally formed with them or secured thereto on the rear side of the arc-like spaces 4 an arc-like gear frame 5, which latter has formed at its two edges facing forwardly the two spur gear faces 6, these spur gear faces each constituting approximately a little more than ninety degrees of a circle and lying parallel to each other and parallel to the longitudinal vertical plane passing through the axis of the hull.

The bearing 3 has pivotally mounted in it an aXle 7 which is relatively short and very strong and which has at its two opposite ends formed in it or firmly secured in ittwo bearings 8. The bearings 8 form a pivotable sup- 10 port individually for the spar or girder straps 9 and 10 of the wing spars or girders 11 and 12, respectively. The spars 11 and 12 are of the usual form or any form and are adapted to form the main support or base 15 for the wings 13 and 14. The axle 7 has also firmly secured to its ends or integrally constructed therewith rearwardly extending bars 15, 16 which respectively lie on one side and the other side of the support frames 2 and 20 extend rearwardly to approximately beyond the spaces 4. The bars 15, 16 at their rear ends are firmly joined by a bar 17 which passes through the spaces 4 so that the bars 15, 16, 17 together constitute a U-shaped frame extending rearwardly from the axle 7 at which it is united at the forward end.

The U-shaped frame constituted by the bars 15, 16, 17 at the rear end has attached to the opposite sides approximately opposite the ends of the bar 17, bearings 18, 19 which respectively constitute flexible or pvotable supports for the girder or spar straps 20, 21

respectively, the latter being respectively xed in the near ends of the spars or girders 22, 23. The spars 22, 23 constitute the main supporting spars at the rear of the wings 13, 14, respectively. Thus the wings 13, 14, and their ribs 24, 25 are supported pivotally to the U-shaped frame 15, 16, 17 so that with respect to the said frame they may be folded upwardly into a position so that they are relatively parallel or so that in the active position they may be folded downwardly so that, when the U-shaped frame is relatively horizontally placed, they are also horizontal relatively with the U-shaped frame 15, 16, 17.

The U-shaped frame has mounted near its rear end, that is near its crutch, transversely of it the shaft 26 of a pair of electric motors 27, the shaft 26 having thereon a small spur gear 28 which drives a larger spur gear 29 on a shaft 30, the latter also transversely placed in the rear end of the U-shaped frame 15,1e,17.

The shaft 30 has secured thereon two small spur gears 31, 32 which respectively coopcrate with the spur gears 31a and 32a which are fixed on the rotatable shaft 30a and thereby cooperate with the two spur gear faces 6, so that these spur gears thereby control the position of the rear end of the U-shaped frame 15, 16, 17 with respectto the spur gear faces 6 and thereby with respect to the support frames 2. Revolution of the spur gears 65 31, 32 31a, 32a will accordingly cause movement of the rear end of the U-shaped frame with respect to the support frames 2.

The gear frame 5 has bored through it from a rear to forward direction two internally screwed faced holes and in these may be placed a retaining bolt or means 33, the latter being manually controlled or operated by the operator or pilot as an auxiliary securing means, either for the location of the wings in their normal flight position or in a position of greater incidence, as desired, the bolt being removable for the complete folding of the wings after alighting. lli/Then the device is used for main wings it is intended that the bolt .33 be placed in one or the other place during fiight. Any more readily operable de* vice or automatic device may be used instead of the bolt 33 it being shown in the manner shown merely for simplicity in the illustration and description.

Each wing 13 and 14 has underneath one of its cross bars 34, near the pivotable supports of the wings a universal joint 35, 36 respectively which joint may be of the ball and socket type or may be of two right angled pivotable bearings. In this universal joint of each wing there is fixed pivotally the related end of a guiding strut or bar 37, 38 respectively. The other and lower ends of each guiding strut 37 38 has also an attachment by means of universal joints 39, 40 at the outer edges of the sides of the upper part of the hull 1 so that by these universally jointed struts or bars 37, the wings 13, 14 are permanently secured to and guided in their folding and unfolding movements and are also retained and supported in flight. The guiding struts 37, 38 are so strong and so strongly jointed with their wings and the hull that they will securely form a support for the wings and hull.

The Figures 3 and 4 show the folding devices as applied to main wings of a seaplane or fuselage of a land plane. In use as such the hull 1 would preferably have at its sides standards 41, 42 which by means of hand placeable bolts 43, 44 and corresponding bolt emplacements 45, 46 on the spars of the wings provide auxiliary means for securing the wings in the active position as lifting wings for flight. In such use the pilot would on entering his plane by means of a battery or electric generator electric supply 47 and switch 48 would cause the electric motors 27 to revolve their shaft in the direction for moving the crutch of the U-shaped frame 15, 16, 17 and with it the rear sides of the wings 13, 14 upwardly about the axis of the axle 7 and as this movement is procured the guiding struts 37 38 acting between the hull and the wings gives a complex movement to the wings whereby as the wings are raised at their rear they are also pulled downwardly in the horizontal position. This movement is procured because the guiding struts at their lower ends are somewhat forward of the upper ends and because upward movement of the crutch of the U-shaped frame causes displacement downwardly proportionately at the joint of the struts so that the complementary downward movement to the horizontal position of the wings is necessary and compelled. After this movement is procured by the electric motors 27, the wings are brought to the horizontal flight position and thereupon the operator may place the bolt 33 in either position and may place the bolts 43, 44 in position whereupon the wings are in condition for flight. If it is desired to use the wings so that their angle of incidence is variable in flight, the standards 4l, 42 and their bolts may be omitted or there may be only one pivotable joint at A, the joint A corresponding in axis with that of axle 7, whereby the wings 13, 14 may be retainable by the standards 4l, 42 and still be variable in their incidence by the operation of the electric motors 27 and the retaining influence of the bolt 33 placed in its lower position. After realighting, the pilot after removing bolts 33, 43, 44 operates electric motor 27 in reverse direction whereby the spur gears 31, 32 lower the rear end of the U shaped frame and the wings are then by the complex movement as guided by the universally jointed guiding struts 37, 38 lowered into a position such that they are relatively parallel with the support frames 2 extending rearwardly and lying in vertical parallel planes above the hull l.

If it is desired to use the folding wings as auxiliary wings, the wings are then preferably used as shown in Figure 5 and in that form, there is a large main monoplane wing 49 which solely performs the lifting function in flight, or when normal high speed is attained, and the three pairs or any number of pairs of auxiliary wings 50, are for taking off, or alighting or for slower speeds or heavier loads unfolded to their active positions by means of the double or universally jointed U-shaped frame supports for the wings and the motors 27 of each pair of wings, and when high normal speed is attained or desired these auxiliary wings may be folded by means of the motors 27 so that they lie extended rearwardly and present little frontal drag. In such use as auxiliary wings the folding wings are preferably supported only by the U-shaped frames of each pair and the universally jointed guiding struts 37, 38 of each pair, it being contemplated that the tension of the electric motors will hold the wings in the active positions as long as necessary or that the bolts 33 or any automatic devices may serve to retain the wings or that the pressure of the air in flight will alone suffice to hold the auxiliary wings in the active positions until they are by the pilots switch definitely pulled out of that position.

While I have shown particular devices and combinations of devices in the illustration of my invention I contemplate that other detailed devices and combinations of devices may be used in the realization of my invention without departing from the spirit and contemplation thereof.

l/Vhat I claim is:

l. In an aeroplane, a fixture, a pair of wings, each wing having one universal ointed connection with the fixture, a guide rack, a gear movable on the rack a gear fixture having jointed connection with the wings, and means for effecting movement of the gear on the rack and acomplementary guiding means embodying for each wing an arm flexibly secured to the wing and flexibly secured to the fixture for eecting relative locating of the wings in alternative positions for active lift.

2. In an aeroplane, a fixture, a pair of wings, each wing having one universal jointed connection with the fixture, a guide rack, a gear movable on the rack, a gear fixture having jointed connection with the wings, means for eecting movement of the gear on the rack, and a controlling means embodying for each wing an arm flexibly secured to the wing and flexibly secured to the fixture whereby a complex movement of the wings in the action is edected.

3. An aeroplane embodying a main structure, a wing attached thereto by means comprising a universal joint attachment for the near end of the wing, an arcuate rack guide on the main structure, a gear attachment movable relative to the rack guide and having a pivot attachment to the near end of the wing, and a complementary guiding means embodying an arm flexibly secured tothe wing and flexibly secured to the main structure.

4. An aeroplane embodying a main structure, an arcuate guide therein, a frame pivotably attached at its forward end to the main structure and movably attached by its rear end in the arcuate guide, a pair of wings each attached pivotably to the frame by their near ends, and complementary guiding means comprising for each wing an arm flexibly secured to the wing and flexibly secured to the main structure.

5. An aeroplane embodying a main structure, an arcuate guide therein, a frame pivotably attached at its forward end to the main structure and movably attached by its rear end in the arcuate guide, a pair of wings each attached pivotably to the frame by their near ends, and complementary guiding means comprising for each wing an arm flexibly secured to the wing and flexibly secured to the main structure, and gear and rack means associated with the arcuate guide and frame for swinging the frame on its pivot.

6. An aeroplane embodying a main structure, an arcuate guide therein, a frame pivotahly attached at its forward end to the main structure and movably attached by its rear end in the arcuate guide, a pair of Wings each attached pivotably to the frame by their 5 near ends7 and complementary guiding means comprising for each Wing an arm flexibly secured to the Wing and flexibly secured to the main structure, a rack associated with the arcuate guide, a gear cooperating With the rack and carried hy the frame and an electric motor carried by the frame for actuating the gear to swing the frame into Variable positions relative to the main structure.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of June, 1929.

ADOLPHE C. PETERSON. 

